This Week's Whiz Twins: Michael and Nicole Catalano

Nominator’s Name: Caroline Bartucca

Whiz-Twins Name: Michael and Nicole Catalano

Whiz Kid's Age: 9 (Michael is older by just one minute)

Whiz Kid's School: Oldham Elementary School

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Twins Michael and Nicole Catalano are friendly, smart and athletic third graders at the Oldham School. They share a love for sports and are adored by their parents, family and a community of friends. 

"Michael is the big brother by one minute, they have a special bond that only twins share," said their mom, Jane Catalano.

Nicole and Michael are fraternal twins and alike in many ways, but they are also individuals with unique personalities.  

“Nicole likes to stay up late and sleep and in the morning…and she eats like a bird, while Michael crashes at night and is awake before anyone else to raid the refrigerator. We call him Sharkey because he loves to eat," Jane said. “Nicole loves to talk, where Michael can be shy initially but warms up quickly.”

And they love sports. They are huge Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots fans. They share a mutual love for the ice, both exhibiting extraordinary talent on skates - just slightly differently. Michael has been playing hockey since he was five years old and Nicole is a member of the Mini Crystals Synchronized Figure Skating team. Nicole's team is a gold medal winner in the Eastern Synchronized Skating Challenge and will have their name recognized in the United States Figure Skating Association Magazine.

Michael has been taking karate lessons since he was four years old and currently holds a green belt. Nicole is a cheerleader for Norwood Youth Football and Cheer. Come spring, the Catalano twins take to the little league fields in town playing baseball and softball.

Nicole's and Michael's artwork, vibrant fish sculptures, were featured in this year's 14th Annual Norwood and the twins recently performed at the Oldham School's spring concert.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?): Beyond their many scholastic and outstanding athletic achievements, these nine-year-old siblings are unselfish, tremendously considerate of others and share a life-long bond. Their mother said that is what makes her twins truly remarkable and extremely special. These young children possess a level of compassion and selflessness far beyond their years.

"Michael and Nicole learned to be compassionate and non-judgmental of people’s differences at a very young age. When they were a year old their father became very ill and was in and out of the hospital for the following six years. They would hold his hand to help him with his balance. They would visit him in the hospital and lift his spirits by lying on his bed and talking to him. Michael and Nicole longed to play catch or go for a bike ride with their Dad but instead they would sit on his lap and say, 'That’s ok Daddy, when you get stronger we will do it,'" Jane said. 

She added that they also would visit their great-grandmother in a nursing home and bring sunshine and joy to the all of the patients. They loved to lead songs which sometimes had the patients in the other rooms joining in.